When I show my photographs to my Japanese friends, a lot of times they tell me that they have never looked at the subject the way I do. While I would like to think it is only because I am a good photographer, a large part of it is that I am looking at a culture that isn’t my own and as a result, I just see things differently.

“The hardest place to find beauty is in your own backyard.”
–somebody smart

I believe this is one of the fundamental truths not only with photography but in life. Actually, when you think about it, it is saying the same thing as that quote about grass being greener… I know this is a travel photo travel blog, but sometimes we need to be reminded that what we are looking for can sometimes be right in front of us. Anyway, this post is to remind you, to go and search and “travel” the area where you live.

For example, during cherry blossom season, I traveled all over the Kansai region in hopes of getting some great photos, but as it turns out, some of my favorite photos from the 2007 cherry blossom season were taken about 10 minutes from where I live, in my own backyard.

Heian Shrine is located in eastern Kyoto and compared to the rest of the famous temples and shrines in Kyoto, it is very new, being built in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of the Heian Capital Foundation. Part of the shrine is a replica of the Imperial Palace of the Heian Period but not all of it is the same scale.

The best time to go here is during cherry blossom season, which is usually around the first week in April. Heian Shrine is one of the most famous places in Kyoto to see cherry blossoms, personally I prefer the Path of Philosophy though. To see the cherry blossoms here you have to pay an extra fee to go into the garden.

If you are short on time during your trip to Kyoto, it wouldn’t be so bad to skip the Heian Shrine (especially if it is not cherry blossom season). Below is a photo of a huge tori gate and in the background you can (kind of) see the entrance of Heian Shrine.

The winter of 2006-2007 has been much warmer than usual and the Asahi Shimbun is reporting that this year could set a record for the earliest blooming of sakura in Japan. In an article about the sakura forecast for 2007, the Asahi Shimbun says:

Cherry blossoms, nature’s way of saying spring is here, are likely to burst into bloom nationwide four to five days earlier than usual, a private meteorological company predicts.

On a related note, sakurazensen.com (sakura zensen means cherry blossom forecast) has some interesting graphs. Even if you cannot read Japanese like me, you can kind of understand what is going on. Where the line for the year hits the pink line, that is expected bloom date.

If you can choose anytime of the year to come to Japan, cherry blossom season is the best time (also fall is a great time). During this time, the seasonal flowers can be seen all over Japan and make for great photos. The 2007 cherry blossom forecast will be released around late February or early March and can be seen at the site of the Japan Meteorology Agency.

When the winters are mild (like the winter of 2007 is) the cherry blossom trees tend to bloom a little earlier than normal. While the forecasts are usually pretty close, like the weather, when cherry blossoms bloom are still slightly unpredictable! Also, different factors such as how much sun a tree gets, play a large role as well.

Covering about 525 acres, Nara Park is the largest municipal park in Japan and includes many of Nara‘s famous attractions, including Todaiji, Kokufuji, Kasuga Taisha, and oh yeah, about 1200 (sort of) wild deer. I recommend just wondering around Nara Park and finding your ow nice little spot, as there are plenty of them. Of course, the best time to go would be either during cherry blossom season or fall but anytime of the year is fairly nice.

A little information about the deer; for the most part the deer are really well behaved (some even seem to bow after or before you feed them–really I promise!) and pose no threat to you but there are some things to take caution about: See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Ueno Park (Ueno Koen), along with Yoyogi Park, are the two most famous parks in Tokyo. Yoyogi and Ueno Park are on opposite sides of the Yamanote Line and kind of have opposite personalities, for example Yoyogi is most famous for it’s ginko trees which turn golden in the fall and Ueno for it’s cherry blossom (sakura) which turn pearly white in the spring. Ueno Park right next to Ueno Station and close to Asasuka, Nippori and Akihabara. The photo below was taken at sunrise.

Both parks are very nice and each has it’s advantages. Ueno has a huge lake in the middle, a zoo (including the ever popular Giant Pandas), homeless people (but not a whole city like in Yoyogi Park), morning joggers, temples and shrines, crows and everything else you would expect from a park in Tokyo. There is no question that the best time to go there is in the spring when the cherry blossom are blooming. I actually went to Ueno park a couple days too early as you can see, only some of the blossoms are in bloom, but you can imagine if all of them were in bloom!

Arashiyama is a wonderful place to take photos and is located just west of Kyoto and next to Sagano. It can be crowded but usually not as crowded as Kyoto so if the crowds in Kyoto are bothering you, check out Arashiyama. A lot of times it is thrown on the map with Kyoto but actually it is it’s own place with it’s own wonderful spots. The best times to go to Arashiyama are of course during the fall or the cherry blossom season but there are enough places to go to that it is worth checking out at any time of the year.

Arashiyama is perhaps most famous for it’s bamboo groves (above), Togetsukyo Bridge (below), and Tenryuji; however, there are many smaller and off-the-beaten-path places that aren’t too far from the path which makes wondering around quite nice.Other activities that are nice are taking a rickshaw ride though Arashiyama, The Sagano Romantic Train (Sagano Torokko Ressha) and the Hozu River Boat Tour.

Yoyogi Park is one of the largest parks (and my favorite) in Tokyo. In the spring it is a nice place to view cherry blossom trees and in the fall it is a great place to see some really beautiful ginkgo trees that turn golden. Assuming the weather is nice (and sometimes even when it isn’t) there are plenty of people enjoying outdoor activities, sports, picnics, sunbathing, dancing or just relaxing.

Another interesting thing about Yoyogi Park is that all types of people gather here. If you come on a weekend you will see people playing sports, juggling, playing instruments, dancing and anything else that can be done outside. One of the more unique groups of people is the interest group that is all about the 50s (or maybe 60s). I am not sure if these people dress (and style their hair) like this all the time and are stuck in a time warp or if it is just a weekend activity but you really should take a minute to watch this short video of them dancing.

Yoyogi Park is just minutes from Harajuku Station and is next to Meiji Shrine, so as a photographer you can easily make it a day at these very different (but close) areas. For more information please see the Japan-Guide.com.